Veronica plant named ‘TNVERA’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct form of  Veronica  plant characterized by warm pink flowers in free flowering spikes, with some rebloom in late summer, a compact, slow spreading, low mounding habit, excellent dense branching with flower spikes at end of every branch, medium green leaves, excellent vigor, and good garden performance.

Botanical denomination: Veronica hybrid.

Variety designation: ‘TNVERA’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Veronica, given the name, ‘TNVERA’. Veronica is in the family Plantaginaceae (formerly Scrophulariaceae). This new cultivar was found as a naturally occurring branch mutation at the nursery in Canby, Oreg. of Veronica hybrid ‘Giles Van Hees’, an unpatented plant. Compared to the mother plant, Veronica hybrid ‘Giles Van Hees’, the new cultivar has a larger plant size with larger inflorescences, darker pink flowers, and greater vigor. Compared to Veronica spicata ‘Rotfuchs’ RED FOX, an unpatented plant, the new cultivar is shorter with larger flowers. Compared to the other pink flowering Veronica on the market, the new cultivar has a more compact habit, darker flowers, and is more free-flowering.

The new cultivar exhibits the following characteristics:

-   -   1. warm pink flowers in free flowering spikes, with some rebloom         in late summer,     -   2. a compact, slow spreading, low mounding habit,     -   3. excellent dense branching with flower spikes at end of every         branch,     -   4. medium green leaves,     -   5. excellent vigor, and     -   6. good garden performance.

The new variety has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (stem cuttings and micropropagation). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and micropropagation as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a close up of the flowers of the new cultivar.

FIG. 2 shows one-year-old Veronica ‘TNVERA’ growing in the trial field in May in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Veronica cultivar based on observations of one and a half-year-old specimens grown outside in the ground in early September in trial beds in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95° F. in August to an average of 32° F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:     -   -   Form.—Mat.         -   Type.—Evergreen, mat forming subshrub/perennial/small scale             groundcover.         -   Cold hardiness.—USDA Zone 4-8.         -   Size.—Grows to 37 cm wide and 14 cm tall to the top of the             foliage, 27 cm tall to the top of the flowers.         -   Vigor.—Excellent.         -   Branching.—Extremely well branched with about 40 stems from             the crown, older stems branching freely.         -   Stem.—Grows to 14 mm long, pubescent, internodes range from             0.5 cm to 2 cm long, young stems Yellow Green 147C; older             woody stems grow to 6 mm wide, Brown 200A.         -   Roots.—Fibrous, freely branching, plants root easily from             stem tip cuttings in about 10 to 14 days. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—Simple.         -   Arrangement.—Opposite.         -   Average number of leaves per stem.—About 20.         -   Blade size.—Grow to 35 mm long and 11 mm wide.         -   Petiole description.—11 mm long and 1 mm wide, pubescent,             Yellow Green 147B.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Margins.—Serrate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Surface texture.—Pubescent of both sides.         -   Leaf color.—Top side Green 137A with main vein 147B, bottom             side Green 137B with main vein 147B. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—Terminal raceme.         -   Number of flowers.—About 70 per raceme.         -   Size of inflorescence.—Spreads 2.5 cm wide and 15 cm long.         -   Peduncle.—15 mm to 20 mm long and 2 mm wide, pubescent,             Yellow Green 147B.         -   Pedicel.—1 mm long and 1 mm wide, pubescent, Yellow Green             147B.         -   Bloom period.—Middle of May to end of June with some rebloom             in August in Canby, Oreg. -   Flower bud:     -   -   Size.—6 mm long and 2 mm wide at the widest point prior to             opening.         -   Description.—Convolute, narrowly oblong, apex obtuse.         -   Surface texture.—Glabrous.         -   Color.—Red Purple 64A. -   Flower:     -   -   Type.—Regular.         -   Shape.—Rotate.         -   Corolla description.—10 mm wide and 10 mm deep; both sides             glabrous, tube 3 mm long and 1.5 to 2.5 mm wide, Red Purple             69A inside and out, 4 lobes, Red Purple 68B inside and 70B             outside, upper lobe broadly obovate, 4 mm long and 5 mm             wide, tip obtuse, margin erose, side and bottom lobes 6 mm             long and 3 mm wide, obovate, tip obtuse, margin entire.         -   Calyx description.—Campanulate, 3 mm wide and 3 mm deep,             4-lobed, lobes ovate, tips acute, margins entire, Green 137A             and pubescent on both sides.         -   Pistil description.—1, 8.5 mm long, ovary round, 1 mm long             and 1 mm wide, Yellow Green 144A, style 7 mm long, Purple             Violet N81A, stigma Violet 83A.         -   Stamen description.—2, filaments 9 mm long and Red Purple             73D, anthers 1.5 mm long and Purple Violet N81A, pollen             none.         -   Fragrance.—None.         -   Lastingness.—A raceme blooms for about 2 weeks on the plant. -   Fruit: An ovoid capsule 2.5 mm long and 2 mm wide, glabrous, Brown     200A. -   Seed: None to date. -   Pests and diseases: Disease and pest resistance is beyond what is     typical for Veronica species. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct form of Veronica plant substantially as shown and described. 